The present invention relates to digital cameras. More particularly, the present invention is directed towards methods and systems for the transfer of image data from a digital still camera to an intelligent host such as a personal computer.
Digital still cameras typically use an image sensor to capture an image of a scene and use electronic memory devices to store the captured images as image files on the camera. Digital still cameras are commercially available from many manufacturers as either stand alone digital still cameras or as a feature on digital video cameras. Digital still cameras are also available as a feature of dual-purpose cameras. Dual-purpose cameras, when connected with an intelligent host such a personal computer function as Internet video cameras, which are also know as web cams. When detached from the intelligent host, the dual-purpose camera functions as a digital still camera. The camera's control panel allows its operator to snap, save and delete pictures.
An essential factor to the commercial success of digital cameras is their ease of use. An essential aspect of the ease of use of a digital camera is the ease of transferring image data from the camera to a host. Typical dual-purpose cameras, rely on a connection, such as a USB connection, to transfer images, captured in their still camera mode, from the camera's memory to the host. Most consumers do not, on a regular basis, repeatedly connect, disconnect and reconnect a device such as a digital camera with their personal computers, and hence may find this aspect of the use of a digital camera rather cumbersome. Moreover, once a connection between a camera and its host has been established, the operator must maneuver through various menus of an application program to select, preview and transfer image data from the camera to its host. Presently, both the connection and data transfer operations are at best difficult to maneuver.
Some have provided improvements in the areas of data transfer from a digital camera. One such improvement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,469, entitled “Digital Camera Having Display Device for Displaying Graphical Representation of User Input and Method for Transporting the Selected Images Thereof.” The '469 patent provides a method and apparatus for the transfer of image data directly to a communication network without requiring the camera to be interfaced with a local host computer. The method of the '469 patent relies on an executable program resident on the camera to send image data from the camera to a destination over a communication network. The motivation for the '469 patent appears to be that many who own digital cameras may not own or may not have access to a local host computer to transfer their camera's image data to a destination. Thus the '469 patent requires the camera device to have the necessary hardware, firmware and software to achieve the data transfer operation. Such requirements generally tend to add complexity and cost to the camera device itself, which may impede the proliferation of such devices. Further, many who use digital cameras, also wish to edit the captured images on their local computers, and thus require a transfer of image data from a camera to a host. Clearly, the method of the '469 patent does not address this need.
Another device that has gained popularity for interfacing a peripheral device with a local host is the device commonly referred to as a cradle or a docking station. While cradles or docking stations are commonly used with many peripheral devices, their implementation in conjunction with digital cameras and especially dual mode digital cameras has not been pursued as vigorously by the digital camera community. Further, both the approach of the '469 patent and the use of the cradle device do not address the need for a rapid transfer of camera's data to a local host.
There is therefore a need to improve the connection and data transfer operations between a digital camera and its host. And further, it is likely that cameras that are easily connectable to a host and those that can simply and quickly transfer their data to a host, will also be ones most adopted by consumers, and thus lead to commercial successes for their manufacturers.